KOKOMO, Ind. — Justin Grant had never experienced a victory quite like he did Saturday night at Kokomo Speedway.
Just two nights after scoring a 100-lap, long-distance USAC Silver Crown race, the Ione, California native reigned triumphant in one of the shortest feature events in the 66-year history of USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship racing.
Under threatening skies that hovered over the top of Kokomo’s quarter-mile dirt oval, Grant raced to the lead on the ninth lap past Kevin Thomas Jr., then remained at the head of the field when the skies let loose, halting the race with 18 of 30 laps complete.
Grant was declared the winner in his TOPP Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink – MPV Express – TOPP Industries/Maxim/Kistler Chevy.
“I’ll take them anyway I can get them,” Grant declared. “This one paid more per lap than anyone I’ve ever won.”
The 18-lap, rain-shortened feature has much historical significance within the USAC record books with it being the first rain-shortened Indiana Sprint Week main event.
Saturday’s truncated race placed it tied for the third-shortest completed feature race in USAC Sprint Car history. Doug Wolfgang won both ends of twin 15-lappers at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. during the 1991 season. Jim McWithey won an 18-lap USAC Midwest Sprint Car race, rain-shortened from 30 circuits at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track in 1959.
From the third starting position, Grant quickly slotted into second along the bottom of turns one and two on the opening lap, underneath, while Thomas Jr. spurted away topside to lead the opening stages.
The only stoppage of the feature came on the sixth lap when 19th-running Brandon Mattox flipped nose-and-tail down the front straightaway, separating the fuel tank from the racecar as the Terre Haute, Ind. driver landed upside down straddling the start/finish line.
When racing resumed with the lap-seven restart, Grant put a move on Thomas Jr., diving underneath in turn one and sliding past for the race lead, only to be counteracted by Thomas Jr.’s reemergence to the front, back under in turns three and four. Entering turn one on lap eight, Thomas Jr. closed the door on Grant, taking away his line and his run on the top side of the first turn.
The following lap, which ultimately turned out to be the midway point of the feature – lap nine – saw Grant rear back his slingshot and fire a shot across the bow of Thomas Jr. in turn one. Once again, Thomas Jr. ripped right past Grant on the back straightway on the bottom entering turn three.
However, Grant was prepared, and instantly turned back down between turns three and four, slipping past Thomas Jr. for good.
“I remember being a really long way back going into one,” Grant recalled of the initial pass for the lead. “(Thomas Jr.) went to slide me back into three, and I let him go, then slid him as he was sliding me and kind of got him corner pocketed off four where he had to let us go. I felt like we were in pretty good shape once we got to the front.”
When raindrops kept falling on the heads of the field at lap 18, and Grant holding an eight-car-length lead over new second-place runner Brady Bacon, the red flag was displayed for extensive moisture. Several moments later, Grant was declared the winner.
Brady Bacon earned his 41st career USAC National Sprint Car fast qualifying time, which ranks fourth on the all-time series list. His second-place finish in the A-Main marked the third consecutive year Bacon has finished as the runner-up in the Indiana Sprint Week round at Kokomo.
To see full results, turn to the next page.